Allies and Associates
by ThePerfidiousAlbion
Summary: Ruby never thought she would have anything in common with the most frightening man in town. But since the curse was broken, things have been changing. Red Gold friendship with some Rumbelle on the side. Follows Season 2 events.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I neither own nor profit from these characters/ stories.

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Ruby hoisted another box onto the front desk. Not even eight in the morning, she grumbled to herself, and she was already busy. As the only hotel in town, she and Granny had been doing steady business in the weeks since the curse had been broken. People drifted in and out, dealing with the tatters of two lives. Mostly they cycled through quickly – children leaving parents, lovers searching for each other – and Ruby was glad when they left. She wanted the town to be able to continue, wanted the townspeople to find somewhere to belong and someone to belong with. There were a few that had stayed longer – like Tom Clark, who had come, annoyed and confused that he had recently decided to give up his apartment above the pharmacy and move in six other men. The ones that stayed weighed on Ruby, painful reminders that not all happy endings had yet returned.

She ducked beneath the tall counter with a sigh, reaching for a box of papers at the back of the bottom shelf. At least she and Granny were here, together, and had plenty to do. The little bell above the door tinkled merrily. "Just a moment!" Ruby called from under the desk, her fingers just brushing the box. It was probably one of Tom's brothers – they were always checking in on him. She finally got hold of the box and pulled it toward her. "Sorry about that," she said as she stood, then stiffened suddenly. Her nose knew half a second before her eyes who the visitor was; it was something she was still getting used to.

Mr. Gold stood on the other side of the counter, his hands braced on his cane. He fixed an amused half-smile at her. "It's nearly breakfast, dearie. Won't the diner be missing you?"

"Granny had to run over to the hardware store. I'm covering." Ruby straightened, setting the box on the counter. "What do you want, Gold?" she said in a level a guess, she added, "She's not here now."

"You are a curiously bold young woman, Miss Lucas. Not many people would work so hard to protect someone they've only just met." The answer surprised her, but she allowed him to continue. He took a step toward the counter. "But it's entirely unnecessary. I just wanted to leave this." He reached into his coat and placed a small wrapped box on the desk in front of her.

She eyed him wearily, not touching the box. "She said she didn't want to see you right now, you know."

"Which is why, dearie," he said liltingly, "I am leaving it at the front desk." He looked around, as if to contemplate the lobby, but she suspected the nonchalant gesture was anything but. "Has… anyone else been by for her?"

"If you mean her father, then no. No one's going to bother her here." Her last words had a hint of edge. She met his eyes, unafraid. He might have his magic back, he might even still be their landlord – Ruby was actually unclear on that last point – but he was right. Ruby felt a fierce loyalty to Belle, and she was going to protect her. She didn't know all of what the girl had been through, in their past lives, but she knew enough to know that Belle deserved the chance to be left alone now, to make her own way if that was what she wanted.

Rumpel held her eyes a cool moment. "No, I suppose not. I don't worry about her staying here." He whirled abruptly on his good leg and started for the door. "You don't need to mention that I was here," he said over his shoulder.

"Wait." He paused with is hand on the door, turning back to look at her. Ruby stepped around from behind the desk. Belle was a new friend, certainly, but she had seen Gold – Rumpel – she had seen this man desperately searching for her and looking more vulnerable and human than she had thought possible. Charming had trusted him and, at one time, so had Belle. Ruby would always err on the side of trusting her friends. "I wasn't lying," she said, casually giving the box on the counter a shake. Something within danced around with a small metallic sound. "She's out for a walk now, and after that she'll be by Granny's for breakfast. I'll give it to her then." She looked up to catch his eye.

He gave a slight nod, the same sort of queer expression on his face that she had seen when she had showed him sweater in the diner. "Thank you." Then the bell tinkled again and he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Bit of a longer chapter. Ruby goes to Gold to ask a favor and gets more than she bargained for.

It was about a week later, right at closing. Ruby was alone in the diner, wiping down tables and stacking chairs. The last customers had cleared out a little while ago, the cook had long since closed and cleaned the kitchen, and when someone at the inn called that the water heater was acting up again, Granny had headed over and left Ruby to finish closing up. She didn't mind – it was actually nice to have some quiet, to let her mind empty and just go through the motions of some work. Usually Ruby liked serving and dealing with the customers, but the past few days things had been wearing on her. Now her hearing was sharpening and she heard all the little comments that used to fall unnoticed behind her back. Now the fried and fatty smells of the grill sometimes threatened to overwhelm her senses, and she found herself serving tables from behind the armor of a plastered-on smile that was perhaps a little too tight around the corners of her mouth.

She sighed and sunk down onto one of the stools at the bar, the salt and pepper shakers from the tables lined up on the counter in front of her, waiting to be refilled. Yes, she definitely liked this quiet time to work. It gave her time to think…. Think about things like how the full moon was only eight days away. She screwed the top back on to a salt shaker. This would be the first full moon since the curse broke, and if her acute hearing and sense of smell were any indication, the wolf was awakening, waiting for that opportunity. It worried her more than she liked to admit, mostly because she and Granny had not yet been able to find her red cape.

Ruby pushed the filled shakers to one side of the counter and stared out the front windows. There was one obvious place they hadn't looked yet. She slid off the stool and strode out the door before her courage failed her.

A short walk later, Ruby found herself frozen to the sidewalk in front of Mr. Gold's shop. There was light coming from the door and window, so she assumed he must still be inside, even though she saw no movement within. She could count the times she'd actually been in his shop on one hand – like most townspeople, she would only consider seeking him out if she was truly desperate. Glancing up, she eyed the ever-growing face of the moon and sighed. Desperate was a fair assumption.

She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and was prepared to throw open the door when it suddenly opened and Gold himself stepped out. Ruby took a step back and held her breath without thinking, but his eyes fell on her anyway.

"Miss Lucas," he said pleasantly, propping both hands on his cane. "What a coincidence – I was hoping to find you."

Ruby blinked in surprise, the assertive demands and pleading words she's been preparing slipping from her mind. "What?" she said dumbly.

"Would you care to step inside?" he said, gesturing to the door.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"

"I have some, ah, business to discuss with you. Of a rather sensitive nature."

He seemed as calm and poised as ever, and as dangerous, but Ruby wasn't foolish. She didn't need oversensitive ears to hear what he was really saying – he was looking to deal, and if he was seeking her out than she had something he wanted. That could either be very good for her, or very bad indeed. He might be desperate, and she understood more than most how a dangerous a cornered beast could be. He was looking at her expectantly, and little warily.

"Fine," she finally nodded. He bowed slightly, and with mock gallantry held the door open for her with his cane. For the third time in her life, she stepped into his shop – where he had _invited_ her to come? Ruby shuddered without thinking, although she did feel slightly better once she was out from under the oppressive moonlight.

Once inside she could not help but look around. The shop was a wonder for the eyes, the shelves overflowing with all manner of things which could be strange and terrible artifacts, or as mundane as a teapot. Her eyes darted around, trying to take in everything at once, and she found herself looking for flashes of red among the many artifacts. He stepped carefully behind her to the counter and Ruby stiffened, the tap of his cane falling loudly in her ears.

"Well," he said, still pleasantly. "How are….things?" She turned to face him. Gods, was he attempting _small talk_?

"Things…" she emphasized the word carefully, still looking around the shop, "are still adjusting to a world with magic. It's better for some than others." Her eyes flicked away from him, but the shelf in the corner held only a red cut-glass lamp.

"I hear Granny's has a new vacancy."

Ruby blinked and suddenly understood – this had to do with Belle. "What do you want from me, Gold?" she asked suddenly. She much preferred to understand the rules of the game before she played, especially when one of her friends seemed to be a playing piece.

He held up a hand. "I'm only looking for information, and someone to deliver a package for me."

"I'm not your spy," she said bluntly. "And I'm not going to be your delivery girl."

"No, of course not. Believe it or not, we're on the same side." Gold sighed. "The enemy of my friend shall be my enemy," he recited. "And the friend of my friend shall be my friend."

Ruby narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you saying we should be friends?"

"I'm saying we have a mutual interest, dearie. It makes sense to come to an…understanding." He adjusted his hands on his cane, waiting tensely. Ruby recalled the same movement that day in the diner when Charming first approached her. She'd seen him waver on the knife's edge between concern and desperation and she was keenly aware that she didn't want it to look like she was taking advantage of that.

"We have a mutual friend," she began slowly. "So if you want to check on her you can ask me, and if she needs me, I'll do my best to help her. We're allies there." Ruby took a deep breath. "And if there's something I need that requires your…expertise, then you'll do your best to help me."

There was no change on his face, but she saw his knuckles tighten just slightly on the head of his cane. "Is that why you came here tonight?"

"Yes," she said baldly. "I was going to ask for your help."

"Ah. What area of my expertise were you hoping to collect on?"

"Is it….possible to find an item that crossed over from our world?"

"May I assume the item is magical?"

"Yes."

"One of mine, dearie?"

Ruby paused. Granny had never mentioned him in all the searching they'd done for her cloak, but that might not mean anything. "I…don't think so."

"Regina's?" His mouth curled up in distaste.

"No," she answered vehemently.

"It may be possible to find something – if it made the journey to begin with. I brought some trinkets of course," he gestured vaguely with one hand, at the strange and priceless treasures stacked across the shop. "But the rest was Regina's doing." He paused. "What is it that you're looking for, anyway?"

"Something I need. You know about my…condition?"

He smirked. "The 'wolf thing'?"

She grimaced. He should not be so flippant about it. "Right. Well, now that magic's back…..what happens?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, dearie."

"But…will I turn at wolfsti – at the full moon?"

"I think that rather depends on you yourself, doesn't it?" He cocked his head suddenly. "Why are you so worried about this now?" His eyes roamed her face, and she had the sense that he was seeing much more of her than she meant to show. "Ohh," he breathed slowly, his eyes widening in understanding. "It's close, isn't it? You can feel it now, and you're looking for something from our world….your pretty red cape? Is that what you want me to find, dearie?"

She felt his gaze as if it was a physical intrusion and crossed her arms to hid the shudder that rippled through her. "Can you?" she asked, her voice too small and low.

"Perhaps," he said lightly, turning to pull some items from the shelf behind him. He set a flowered porcelain bowl as wide as a dinner plate on the counter, then turned to a black case on a lower shelf. "You don't have any part of it, do you?" he said, opening the lid to reveal rows of small bottles nestled in dark velvet. "A small piece, a few threads?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, I haven't seen it since the curse."

"Ah." He selected a little dark vial and snapped the lid shut. "Magic comes with a price, dearie. Even for allies."

Ruby nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"She's moved out of the inn?"

He still wouldn't say her name, Ruby noted. "Yes, into the apartment above the library. I helped her carry boxes this afternoon."

"Has anyone been asking for her?"

"You mean her father?"

"Anyone."

"No. Just you." She emphasized the last words, taking some perverse pride in teasing him, like goading a viper. "Charming did ask about her the other day at lunch."

"Was Henry with him?"

Now why on earth would that matter, she wondered. "No. It's not like many people even know she's around."

"But they will," he said softly, dangerously. He picked up the vial suddenly, pulling the cork out and holding it above the bowl. "Think very carefully of the cloak, now. Picture it in your mind, and this should show where it is." He tipped the contents of the bottle toward the bowl, but instead of a splash of liquid there was an oily dark smoke that rolled out to fill the bowl almost to the brim. The surface rolled like storm clouds, and Ruby struggled to keep a memory of the cloak in her mind – the sheen of the fabric, the comforting weight of it around her shoulders, the small tear at the hem that she had been so worried about…. Suddenly, the smoke in the bowl stilled, resolving into a flat pane of pure darkness. Ruby glanced up at Gold.

"Is that it? What's wrong with it?"

"Hard to tell," he said, staring intently at the bowl. "It could be somewhere dark, like the bottom of a chest or cupboard. But most likely it's not in town and the spell can't locate it."

"Are- are you sure?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice even.

"Without a piece of it, I'm afraid that's the best I can do." He seemed almost apologetic.

"But…I need – Can't you make me another one?"

Gold shrugged. "Magic is different here. To make something that could help without a number of….unpleasant consequences….Besides, you learned to get by without it. I'm sure you can do it again."

Ruby wasn't so sure. She was cold all over, and suddenly very tired, and all she wanted was to be home. She sighed. "Well thanks for checking. You, uh, wanted me to drop something off for her?"

He nodded silently, stepping around the counter. He held a a polished wooden box, about the size of a book, but pulled it back from her hand just as she was about to take it. "You don't need to tell her where it's from."

"'Course not." She reached for the box, but it was much heavier than she anticipated and it slipped from her hand with a loud crash. Something weighty skittered across the shop floor and there was a metallic pattering as small pieces rolled away. Ruby's hands few to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she cried, dropping to the ground. "I hope it's not bro—" She stopped suddenly, having finally seen the contents that had spilled from the box. "Gods Gold! What the hell is this?" She scrambled to her feet, holding the revolver at arms length with two fingers.

"Relax," he said wryly, taking the gun from her hand. "It's not loaded, and you've scattered the bullets all over my floor." He clicked open the cylinder and spun it with his thumb, showing her the empty chambers, then with a quick motion pushed the cylinder back into place, cocked the hammer, and raised his arm to sight the gun at the door. "Perfectly safe." He squeezed the trigger and the hammer fell forward with a dull click.

"The hell it is!" Ruby cried, infuriated by his calmness. "Gold, I'm not giving her a gun!"

"It's a dangerous world, dearie. I want her to be protected."

"So get her a Rottweiler! An extra deadbolt! Hell, even a sock full of quarters would be better. Does even know how to use that thing?"

"She can learn," Gold scowled.

"Well then, you can teach her yourself!" she said, shrilly. "Thanks for your help, Gold, but I'm not doing your dirty work!" Ruby stormed for the door, vaguely aware that she was angering a powerful man holding a gun. She paused with her hand on the door and spoke without turning around. "I'll check on her tonight. And I'll see if Granny has some pepper spray." Then the bell above the door rang jauntily, and she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Ruby goes back to Gold for help. Missing scene from Child of the Moon.

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Ruby pushed quickly into the shop, slamming the door back against the wall in her haste. The bell above the door rang just as easily as ever, as sickening bout of false cheer, a mirthless silvery laugh at her expense ringing loudly in her oversensitive ears.

"Gold!" she called, trying to bite down the desperation she felt. "Gold! I know you're here!" She could smell him through the curtain, could hear the small scrape of his cane as he finished whatever he was doing in the back. Ruby's eyes darted around the cluttered shop, desperately searching for any scrap of red that might have miraculously turned up since the last time she was here. She turned to a nearby shelf and began pawing through the objects, pushing aside a chrome toaster and a tiny pair of boots to grab at a stack of water-stained cardboard boxes. The first one she grabbed was filled with a broken lamp - a tangle of wires and metal and no soft red cloth. She slammed it down on a lower shelf and reached for another box, hands fumbling the flaps on the top.

"Miss Lucas." The suddenness of the clipped tone made her jump, and she knocked the toaster and a small vase off the shelf. The crash set her teeth on edge, but she ignored the sensation and ripped the box open with trembling hands to reveal a stack of china dishes.

Mr. Gold allowed the curtain to drop behind him. "Miss Lucas," he repeated calmly, stepping behind the counter and eying the shards on the floor. "Are you trying to wreck my shop?" The lines around his eyes were tight, even if his words were polite.

"You're sure you haven't seen it?" she said harshly, returning the box to the shelf and meeting his eyes defiantly.

"What, your cloak?" He resettled his hands on his cane. "As I told you before, I don't think it made the journey here. It's not something I can now find."

"But I need _something_!" she cried, the panic and fear cracking her voice on the last word.

"Miss Lucas –"

"You don't understand – I got out last night. I hurt someone!"

"The mouse with the tow truck? Yes, I heard about that. Terrible tragedy – but I don't think you're to blame."

She glared at him through tear-pricked eyes. "His body was ripped in half," she choked out. "What else could do that but the wolf?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things, dearie." His eyes glinted wickedly.

"I'm dangerous," she said firmly. "I might hurt someone again. I need something to keep me locked up tonight."

"And you don't think the jail cell will be sufficient?"

"I won't be in the jail –or haven't you heard that I'm too popular?" she laughed bitterly. "Charming thinks it's too dangerous to keep me where a mob can find me. Someone else has offered to hide me tonight." She swallowed the lump in her throat, then met his eyes. "I'll be in the library."

His jaw tightened. "I see."

"I need something," she repeated, speaking rapidly, courage failing now that she had prodded the sleeping dragon. "If you can't stop me turning, then stop me from getting out – chains, ropes, anything. Please, I can't escape again."

Gold narrowed his eyes at her. "Even chains come with a price, dearie," he said darkly.

"Then what do you want, Gold? You want a head start? You'll need it if the wolf gets loose."

"Oh no," he said softly, and Ruby's next words died in her mouth. His quietness chilled her. "No, if I help you, you're going to do exactly as I say." He bent under the counter for a moment, then straightened and placed a long, narrow case between them. He clicked the lid back, and revealed a thick silver chain coiled inside, a fat padlock linked around one end. "Once fastened, this chain will protect whomever it holds," he said. "Anything – or anyone – that means them harm will be driven away."

Ruby eyed the lock, not any bigger than the ones Granny had used last night. "And this will hold me when I turn?"

"Oh, it's not for you, dearie."

Her eyes flicked to his face. "What do you mean?" Gold was silent, and suddenly Ruby understood. "No," she said, shaking her head.

Gold planted his hands on the counter. "Do you think Charming's little ploy will be able to fool them for long? You think Spencer won't guess where you've gone?"

"_No_," she repeated with a pleading edge. Her stomach knotted, thinking of the last chains she had fastened, locking a young man to his death. She would not do that again. "I can't do that to her."

"You wanted protect ion –" he made a sharp gesture down at the chain. "This protects."

"Even if it does what you say, it's just good for one person. What about David – what about Granny?"

Gold snorted. "Charming doesn't think you could harm a fly, and the widow with the arsenal is more than able to take care of herself. You're not concerned about them – it's the rest of the town you're scared for. You know the wolf is most dangerous when cornered – so don't give them that chance." He spoke softly again, but without the cold edge of before. "Get out of the library and go out into the woods. Don't let more innocent lives be lost."

Ruby's eyes slid shut for a moment and she saw again the red stains on the white snow, the red stains on the tattered denim work shirt. _Not again_, she decided. She slammed the case shut and pulled it off the counter without a word.

"And don't worry about me, dearie," he said liltingly as she turned to leave. "I'll be fine even without a head start from the wolf. I've got tricks you couldn't imagine."

Ruby didn't answer, and when she pushed through the door, the only sound was the hollow ringing of the little bell.


End file.
